Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-05-18
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
THE SUMMERS PICTUREsQUENEss-CO
AN D OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
DREssEs-WEDDING TOILETTEs-NOTEs.

From our Female Fashion Correspondent
/ The rich variety of Summer colors, brings
about corresponding picturesqueness. Not
colors only, but the combining of opposite
textures, produces contrast, SO potent an
element of beauty while coquettishness waits
on stripes and plaids. Wanting in elegance,
these fancy bars and lines are the chosen
factors for outfits expressing rural aban-
don, and one can with little effort, imagine
the jauntiness of bright plaided silk and
lace. Blouse waists of surah and other goods
are saucy additions and Roman sash ribbons
are made up into blouse waists also, with
overskirts of the same over lace: velvet
basque with lace or net skirt is popular
fancy: Pompadour silks gayly dotted with
small sprays or showing unions of stripes
and bouquets form charming costumes, yet
not more so than India silks and WOOL
Pompadour or heart-shaped necks with
elbow sleeves, are in special favor for these
gay toilettes, but where the neck and arm
are thin, as is often the case, good taste
would suggest complete covering for both
the Pompadour neck indeed, being always
except for evening, filled in with lace or
something semi-transparent. For all, the
power OF ribbons is great and they are used
in many ways: in long .17ots, in very long
loops and ends, bows, quillings, etc., moire
being very fashionable, but not to the ex-
clusien OF satin. Many less radiant cos
tunes are of barege or thin wool batiste
trimmed with Fedora lace and ribbon.
COMBINATIONS
III wool are revived with all the ardor of a
first love and form strong element in pic
turesqueness. Candy material showing
great velvet leaves and flowers on wool
surface, is brought out specially for touches
on plain goods while the never-ending plaids
and stripes are similarly employed. But
tailor-made dresses though not quite the
rage they have been, are still in great vogue
light Summer woods are made up without
any fancy additions and extremely refined
costumes are Of cashmere in quiet colors
united with plain silk. After all, moreover,
unobstrusive styles must be in the ascen.
dancy, since on so many occasions, they are
most suitable. Country lawns are the field
of display for canvas dresses which are
touched up by velvet OR by striped and
plaid material while numerous coquettish
outfits are entirely of plaids or checks; the
round hat trimmed with ribbon to match.
For
COMMENCEMENT DRESSES,
lace is in more favor than anything else.
made up over lawn or combined with wool
or silk: the most popular varieties being
point d esprit, plat val or Fedora. Light
quality white wool is also much used for
the entire dress and very pretty novelties in
this line, show small satin sprays or stripes;
In these styles, some union of plain goods
being advisable or perhaps the sprays can
be combined with the stripes. Usually
commencement dresses are high neck and
long sleeves, but some are made square or
heart-shaped neck with elbow sleeves and
though almost all are bouffant, as becoming
the average slender American girl yet now
and then in case of unusual plumpness, the
dress is made close hanging style: pretty
model in lace, showing the sides and front
OF silk laid in broad box plaits with plated
lace between, crossed by ribbons with bows
in the contre. The back is of lace, made
bouffant with silk sash: the corsage silk
basque cut square and filled in with lace !:
lace elbow sleeves. Lawn embroidered in
stripes is used to some extent with ribbon
run in the embroidery, but this material is
not much in favor for commencement dresses
because to be effective, the ribbon sheuld
be bright. Waists are generally full: plait-
ed Or shirred with broad belt and sash at
the back. For trimming, nothing is so
much liked as ribbon.
MAY NOTES.
Satin, faille, gros grain, corded or moire
silks are the materials most used for we'd
ding dresses. Trains are extremely long,
basques, Pompadour or V necked with
elbow sleeves. Often, of course. these
fabrics are combined and the favorite trim
Elings are fine lace, pearl passementerie Or
tulle. Moire ribbon also, and the conven-
tional orange blossoms, arranged sometimes
in garland style, are favorite accessories.
The tulle veil is set on with one or moro
fancy pins while an orange blossom spray
can give finish. White undressed meusque-
taire gloves and kid slippers, sometimes
also of undressed kid. An adroit piece of
economy, not known to every one, is the re-
newal of rusty black bonnets and hats, by
the application of shoe polish, and for this
purpose as all others Buttons Raven gloss
is most satisfactory, since while improving,
it also renders more durable, the article it
touches. The biting qualities of other
dressings are wanting in this skillful pre-
paration. They give perhaps more bril-
liant polish (not really desirablel to the shoe,
but injure in doing so, while the somewhat
less bright but softer black of the favorite
dressing just named renders the shoe more
lasting and at the same time renevates it's
looks. Ladies appreciate this fact, and the
demand for it increases continually. Black
silk stockings are in great favor still and
fine black cotton warranted, as well also as
Lisle thread which is worn on ordinary oc-
casions by those who cannot afford silk
The old trouble, however, of the dye COM
ing off, continues an objection, and were it
not for the becomingness of black hose in
making the foot look smaller, they would
soon go out of vague. For evening, delicate
silk hosiery is in shades to match dresses:
for day wear, there are darker colored silk
and fine cotton in Summer stripes are like
wise in demand. Gilt galoon plays an i'm
portant part in trimming. Rich fancy vests
are formed by it's traceries: it lightens COL
lars and sleeves and stylish addition to
blouse waists, is belt, collar and wrist
bands of gilt. Undressed kid gloves in
mousquetaire shape are popular: the colors
most liked for general wear, being tan, gray
or black, but high authorities on dress, CON
slider black gloves in bad taste except for
mourning. They are, however, worn in
full dress as also dark tan. Neither so
tasteful AS very light tan or pearl gray.
RosALIND MAY.